We put all the responsibility for what happened on the authorities and law enforcement agencies. At the same time, we call for a prompt de-escalation of the conflict.
We want to emphasize once again that the use of violence, the dispersal of assemblies and the detention of their participants without reasonable justification are an unacceptable restriction on the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of expression.
We note that any violence inevitably leads to a backlash that can be unpredictable and uncontrolled. In this regard, we once again call on the police, the military and other authorities and units involved in the dispersal of peaceful demonstrations to exercise restraint and to refrain from using violence and weapons. // 10.08.2020
We, representatives of Belarusian human rights organizations, protest against the political persecution and detention of political prisoner Pavel Seviarynets and demand to: revoke all administrative sentences imposed on Pavel Seviarynets for organizing or participating in peaceful assemblies and to immediately release the activist; immediately release all political prisoners serving terms of administrative detention for exercising their freedom of peaceful assembly and expression; conduct an investigation and bring to justice all those involved in torture and cruel, inhuman treatment of Pavel Seviarynets and other detainees. // 10.07.2020
We, representatives of the Belarusian human rights community, declare that the prosecution of Uladzislau Buryn, Dzianis Syrets, Aliaksandr Zhmuro, Larysa Tankashkur, Maksim Skalkin, Yury Samusevich, Aliaksei Haloukin, Aleh Zubrytski, Aliaksei Melnikau, Andrei Kareshnikau, Ihar Pyzhjanau, and Ivan Viarbitski is politically motivated and they are political prisoners. // 08.07.2020
On 25 June the BHC Assembly of representatives took place where the outcomes of the Committee’s work for the past two years were discussed. The Assembly considered BHC record in the reported year to be satisfactory. In addition, the Committee’s management bodies were elected. // 01.07.2020
